This invention relates to a centrifugal loading apparatus and particularly to such an apparatus for selectively depositing of sequentially received loads upon predetermined portions of a conveying system for sorting of the loads.
In the development of automatic material and article handling, high speed conveying and sorting mechanisms have been developed to transfer loads from a loading station to various receiving stations. A particularly satisfactory conveyor employing a tilting support means is disclosed in the co-pending application of Richard L. Speaker et al. which was filed Apr. 10, 1972 and bears Ser. No. 242,330 and which is assigned to the same assignee as this application. As disclosed in such system, a series of individual load supporting units are interconnected for continuous and cyclical movement past a loading station. Keyed control means provide for actuating of the loads units to discharge a load at selective locations, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,531. To properly load such systems, particularly for very high speed sorting, an induction loading device is normally employed which will automatically deposit a load upon a predetermined interrelated load support unit such that the keying of such a unit provides for proper destination of the load. The induction loading station normally provides for automatic timed transfer of the loads onto the appropriate tray structure with the operator providing keying of the conveying sorter for each load. A plurality of the induction unit will normally be provided for any single sorting mechanism with the induction loader adapted to load and key predetermined spaced trays or load support units. In order to insure proper operation of these systems, the loader must, of course, operate not only in predetermined timed relationship to the sorter, but must operate to reliably transfer the load to the appropriate support unit. For example, in a retail department store type operation, various soft goods must be automatically sorted along with other small packages and parcels. Similarly, in the Post Office distribution systems, automatic sorters are now relatively widely employed by which mail sacks, parcels and the like are automatically sorted in accordance with predetermined destination. Articles or packages employed in such installation, particularly in general retail merchandising, have widely different shapes and flexibility from relatively thin, flat shapes to rectangular or square box-like members.
Although various high speed sorting rotary loaders have been suggested in order to provide reliable and repeatable loading characteristics, they have generally employed relatively large, complicated mechanisms. Although they produce desired reliability in loading characteristics, they do introduce a significant cost. The complexity of the system, of course, directly contributes to the cost and may, further, contribute to maintenance time and expense. In addition, many of them demand a relatively large amount of space which in some instances may be at least undesirable, if not acceptable.
Although various induction loading devices have been developed, a reliable and relatively compact induction loader is particularly adapted for warehouse distribution systems and the like where various soft and hard packages are encountered.